Daily briefing
Current Affairs — 11 August 2026
The day's source-attributed current affairs for UPSC, organized for fast revision.
Articles from 11 August 2026
- How personality cults derail democracyA The Hindu opinion argues that personality cults—treating political leaders as near-messianic figures—erode democratic scrutiny, accountability, and civic participation.Read analysis →
- The government needs to build a consensus on delimitationThe Government of India is urged to build broad political consensus before implementing the next delimitation exercise after Parliament’s monsoon session ended without meaningful debate.Read analysis →
- PMLA prosecution after predicate conviction is not a second trial: Karnataka High CourtKarnataka High Court held that prosecuting a person under PMLA after a predicate-offence conviction is not a “second trial” for the same offences under Section 300 CrPC.Read analysis →
- Protectors turn predators: how son preference fuels female foeticide rackets in MaharashtraA former Kolhapur health official linked to Maharashtra’s “Save the Girls” campaign was arrested over allegations of running a female foeticide and illegal abortion network, prompting plans for tougher action and possible use of MCOCA.Read analysis →
- Agasthyamalai eviction orders still silence Forest Rights ActSupreme Court eviction directions for encroachments in and around the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve area have been criticised for undermining the Forest Rights Act’s rights-recognition sequence.Read analysis →
- Tribunals Reforms Bill passed amid din in Lok SabhaLok Sabha passed the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026 to create a National Tribunals Commission for appointment oversight, replacing the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021.Read analysis →
- SC’s direction: independent National Tribunals Commission for transparent oversightSupreme Court direction seeks an independent National Tribunals Commission with transparent tribunal appointment oversight.Read analysis →
- PM SVANidhi scheme impacts: credit access, digital payments and socio-economic linkagesPIB update on PM SVANidhi’s credit reach, digital payments incentives, and welfare linkages up to 12 July 2026 based on ISB impact studies.Read analysis →
- Framework to balance electricity financial sustainability and consumer affordability under Electricity Act, 2003; Draft National Electricity Policy 2026Draft National Electricity Policy, 2026 proposes tariff design and cost pass-through mechanisms to balance distribution sector financial sustainability with consumer affordability under the Electricity Act, 2003.Read analysis →
- Status of National Rivers Interlinking Programme (ILR)PIB reports the current status of all 30 inter-basin river linking projects under India’s National Perspective Plan, including implementation progress on the Ken–Betwa link.Read analysis →
- Asiatic Lion population increases from 523 (2015) to 891 (2025); Minister cites conservation effortsEnvironment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced Asiatic lion numbers rising from 523 (2015) to 891 (2025) and cited Project Lion’s habitat and disease management work.Read analysis →
- Case for consensusIndia’s monsoon session ended with limited legislative deliberation amid disputes over Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) amendments and concerns about lack of transparency around government delimitation proposals.Read analysis →
- Amendments to FCRA to bring more transparency: KwatraForeign policy spokesperson Kwatra described proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) amendments aimed at increasing transparency in foreign funding to NGOs.Read analysis →
- Implementation and Impact of the National Credit Framework (NCrF)UGC notified a Standard Operating Procedure for operationalising the National Credit Framework (NCrF) in higher education, alongside NCrF-based rules for creditisation, recognition of prior learning, and mobility across education streams.Read analysis →
- SC timelines for in-service teachers to acquire TET qualification under RTE Act extendedSupreme Court extended the in-service teachers’ timeline to acquire TET qualification under the RTE Act from 31 August 2027 to 31 August 2028.Read analysis →
- MoE: HEIs’ progress in NIRF ranking and education quality initiativesMinistry of Education cited NIRF participation growth and multiple higher-education quality and employability initiatives in a Lok Sabha reply.Read analysis →
- EXPLAINED: Bihar’s liquor ban controversy and political constraints (E. Explained)Bihar’s liquor ban controversy is a governance dispute over alcohol regulation feasibility and political constraints on policy reversal.Read analysis →
- Explained: Criminalisation of politics leaves the judiciary inundated, builds backlogCriminalisation of politics—criminal cases involving political actors—raises judicial workload and can worsen case backlogs.Read analysis →
- English in India, a language that has earned its placeA Supreme Court–linked debate on whether English is indigenous has been met with a case for nurturing multilingualism and recognising English’s institutional and everyday entrenchment in India.Read analysis →
- GEC third phase in final stages, up for Cabinet approvalUnion Cabinet approval is sought for the final-planning stage of intra-state Green Energy Corridor (GEC) Phase-III.Read analysis →
- UPI and the cost of policy reversalThe Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 proposes enabling notification of charges on certain electronic payment modes by amending Section 10A of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, with a flagged UPI MDR of 0.25%–0.5% on transactions above ₹2,000.Read analysis →
- DISCOMs digitalisation: Progress under RDSS with smart metering, SCADA/DMS and IT/OT (India Energy Stack)A Rajya Sabha reply by the Ministry of Power reports DISCOM digitalisation progress under RDSS, including smart metering, SCADA/DMS, and IT/OT (India Energy Stack).Read analysis →
- Assessment of Skill Development Initiatives under Skill India Mission (PMKVY, JSS, NAPS, CTS)MSDE under the Skill India Mission reported third-party evaluation results for PMKVY 4.0, JSS, and NAPS (PMNAPS-2) and provided scheme-wise training/apprenticeship figures for 2019–20 to 2026–27 (as on 30.06.2026).Read analysis →
- MSDE redesigns PMKVY courses for new-age skills under PMKVY 4.0MSDE redesigned PMKVY 4.0 to expand “new-age and futuristic” skill courses and shift outcomes toward employability via On-the-Job Training.Read analysis →
- Implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and related reformsThe Ministry of Education outlines NEP 2020 higher-education implementation actions through frameworks and digital mechanisms such as NCrF, NHEQF, ABC, and APAAR ID.Read analysis →
- Jitendra Singh seeks enhanced private sector participation in India’s biotechnology ecosystem through BIRAC-RDIFBIRAC-RDIF is being operationalised through proposal calls, a dedicated e-portal, and linkages with GCCs, CSR channels, and startup-investor matching.Read analysis →
- Ministry of Minority Affairs’ leadership and capacity-building programmes for minority women in OdishaUnion Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju stated in the Rajya Sabha that minority women in Odisha can benefit from Nai Roshni and the umbrella scheme PM VIKAS.Read analysis →
- PLFS introduced methodological improvements over earlier EUS; strengthened for more frequent estimates from Jan 2025MoSPI strengthened the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) from January 2025 to enable monthly all-India and quarterly rural-urban labour force estimates, alongside annual estimates.Read analysis →
- PAIMANA & Performance Monitoring Dashboard: data-driven monitoring of Central infrastructure projectsMoSPI launched the PAIMANA web platform in 2025 and expanded it with the PAIMANA-CRIP module and a Performance Monitoring Dashboard by 2026 to track Central infrastructure projects and outcomes using an indicator framework aligned to the DEA’s HML (2022).Read analysis →
- Legal: In opposing creamy layer for SC/STs, what govt arguedThe Government of India argued before the Supreme Court on how the “creamy layer” concept should apply to eligibility and benefit within SC/ST reservations.Read analysis →